Sweet little lies
by Evil lobster girl
Summary: Story about the lies surrounding the xmen and how these lies both hurt and protect them. If you're not a Lancitty fan skip to chapter 2 and if you are a Lancitty fan, don't worry, they make a reappearance in chap 3. Chap 2 from unusual perspective.
1. Chapter 1

'So how's school going sweetheart?' Her father asked stiffly from the top of the table.

'Good daddy.' Kitty said with a smile.

Her mother entered with a small gravy boat. The woman had always walked as though her feet were made of China and tonight she seemed even more on edge. She took her seat alongside Kitty and they fell into another silence that none of them could stand. Kitty often wondered what had happened. Before she had gone to live in the mansion they were comfortable around each other for hours without talking but now silence was the enemy, something to be defeated.

'All advance placement subjects isn't it?' He went on.

"Yeah. I'm worried about English though. I might, like, drop down to an easier level.' She swallowed her food quickly and answered.

"Well you're just going to have to work harder.' He nodded encouragingly. 'You're definitely capable of it.'

"I'm not sure.' Her voice trailed off under his eager gaze. 'Yeah. I'll just get some help after school. Beast…I mean Mr. McCoy is a real boffin when it comes to Shakespeare and stuff.'

She winced at the reaction. They hated it when she used her instructor's codenames; even their first names weren't approved. Thus the 'Mr. Logan'.

"Never mind about that.' Her mother said, her warm tone damping the tension. 'How are you're friends?'

"Oh they're fine. Just a few death defying missions every now and again. Other than that we're just, like, ordinary teenagers.' The feeble joke thrashed and died in the air.

She wished someone would say something unconventional. It didn't even have to make sense. Just something that opened all the invisible doors locked in their conversation.

"Kitty, are you aware of the mutant clamp down?' Her father asked.

"Yeah.' She said a little surprised, he hadn't uttered the 'm' word all evening. 'But that doesn't affect me. I mean they're trying to contain dangerous mutants. The only thing dangerous about me is my driving.'

A smile flickered across his lips momentarily and Kitty felt a peculiar sense of triumph.

'Of course not dear. But do you remember that boy?' he asked turning back to his carrots. 'The one that tried to take advantage of you when you first found out about your powers.'

The fork fell from her hand and clattered against the plate.

'No.' she said trying to look natural.

'You don't remember him?' Her father asked.

'Well sure I remember him. I just don't see why you're bringing him up when you, like, haven't before.' She answered a little flustered.

"I agree with Kitty. Why bring up something so unpleasant when we're having such a nice time?' Her mother added.

"Well it's just I got a call the other day asking if we'd like to press charges.' He answered. 'I thought Kitty should be here when we made the decision.'

"I don't know dad. I mean Lance isn't exactly the most levelheaded guy in the world. If someone tried to jail him I don't think he'd take it with grace.'

'Lance? How'd you know his name?' Her mother asked stunned.

"Well we go to school together and he works for the brotherhood. He helps us out sometimes. He's really not that bad of a guy. But I still wouldn't risk suing him.' she said, marvelling at her ability to keep a steady tone.

'You've been working with someone who nearly killed us?' her father asked.

"Well Lance isn't that big of a deal now I can control my powers. I could probably take him.' she snorted.

'This isn't exactly a laughing matter Katherine. You're mother was scared out of her wits after that. We thought we were going to die, even worse, we thought you were going to die. Now you're talking as if you almost respect him.'

Kitty cast a furtive glance in her mother's direction. Her lips had contracted into an even line and she was staring at a napkin she had placed crumpled on her lap. It suddenly hit her that maybe they weren't embarrassed of her powers; maybe they were just scared of them.

'Lance is a complicated case.' She said, trying to give them as unselfish an answer as she could manage. 'He _has_ done terrible things. I don't deny that. But for every bad thing he's done he does some other wonderful thing to balance it. I promise. And I don't respect that but I can understand it. When he hurt us it wasn't intentional. He doesn't understand that you guys needed to protect me. He thought you were interfering and trying to hurt me. Because no one tries to protect him and everyone ends up hurting him. He thought by separating me from you guys he was doing me a favour.'

'Why would he want to do you a favour?' Her father asked.

'Like I said before he's not that bad of a guy. So can we please just drop it.'

'Yes I'd rather let it be Carmen.' Her mother said anxiously wringing her hands.

"Of course, if that's what you'd prefer. But I'd still like to think it out myself. And I'd like to ask you some more questions about it later on Kitty. I'd let it rest until tomorrow but you'll be leaving so early.'

"Whatever. I don't mind.' She said, digging her fingernails into her palms.' Can I be excused?'

"Don't you want afters, hunny?' her mother asked, breaking from her haze.

"No I'd rather lie down for a while. Thanks for dinner though.' She pushed in her chair.

"You don't need to thank me.' Kitty was sure she heard some disappointment in her voice as she left the room.

She closed the dining room door behind her and sat on the stairs, her cheek pressed against the milky white wall. Listening to the soft hum of her parent's voices, she felt her personality return from the strict confines of the room as she tried to free herself from the lies.


	2. Chapter 2

The football team burst triumphantly into the food parlour. Final practice that season had just ended and most of them were on a high. The school quarterback, Austin Stephens, trailed behind them feeling a curious detachment from his teammates. He watched Duncan lead on as the boys gaggled around to tell him their orders.

_That's it Duncan, _Austin thought, surprised by the unaccustomed note of cynicism attached to his inner voice, _now jump on to the till._

Then, like he did every other night, Duncan hoisted himself on to the counter and smiled at the server.

_Good boy_, he thought again, _now feed the waitress some shamelessly sloppy line and order._

"Bernice, you look lovely this evening' Duncan said to the overweight lady working behind register as everyone in the team except Austin snickered.

"Really? I'm glad you said that because I just tried out for the swimsuit section in sports illustrated and didn't get it. Guess I was too much of a threat to the other girls, huh?' Bernice said, her voice toxic. Nobody but Austin laughed.

_Now, Dunkey, insult the waitress as she walks away, _Austin's inner monotone dragged on.

"God.' Duncan leaned over the counter and looked at the older woman's butt. 'You'd need an oxygen mask to reach the top of those cheeks.'

_Thank you Duncan. You're very obedient tonight, _he thought, _although I might be slightly more impressed if I hadn't used the same joke in front of you in the library last Thursday while talking to a girl about her pile of books._

Most of the team were still in mid-hysterics over Duncan's supposed joke as they took they're usual table to the left of the door.

"What's wrong with you tonight man. You've hardly said a word since practice.' Austin's head bobbed up as he realised he was being addressed.

He was about to answer but they moved on to a new subject too quickly.

"Hey who was that Blondie thing at practice this evening. You know, heavy up top? Ned asked.

"Sarah Wells.' Kevin said dreamily. 'She's the new soccer captain. Since Ms Grey got her honourable discharge.'

A quiet note of pleasure ran through the table. Nearly everyone was glad she had been axed. No one disrespected Duncan and got away with it.

"Well I dated her for a while.' Duncan started as though he had forgotten. 'And she was less than honourable. The girl was a freak'

_Now that's an out and out lie Dunkey_, Austin mused, picking away at his fries, _Jean Grey would have frowned on bodily contact if she was on fire and you were made of water _

"Come on, snap out of it man. So you missed that one score. Nobody cares.' Duncan appealed to him again, as the rest of the guys sucked him back into conversation.

_Was it always like this?_ Austin ignored him completely, _surely we had some real laughs. There were some genuinely good times, weren't there? I'll be leaving for college soon. No Dunkey there. Will I miss you? Will time take the coarseness from the memories until all I'm left with is my version of Duncan __Matthews__? A real stand-up guy, with a great sense of humour, who played some nice ball? God I have to snap out of this. _

"Do you guys wanna go out tonight? Ned's voice carried over all the conversations going on at the table. 'I want to find that blond and see if she knows what she's good for.

_If she knows anything she'll send you packing, _Austin thought with a snort but felt a little guilty, _stop it, just try and have a good time. When did I get so bitter? I remember talking to that girl in the library and we were laughing and then Duncan came over. He said something really nasty to her and I didn't defend her, even though I wanted to, and then she touched me, really subtely on the hand. She said she hoped it helped me. What was her name? God, why don't I remember it? It was a really weird name. _

"Well? Duncan asked and Austin felt his eye's burning into him.

"No I don't think I can come.' Austin shook his head. 'What was that girls name? At the library. She was sitting with all the books in the corner. You remember, she was pale with dark hair?'

"Rogue? He asked, as his face split into a huge grin, thinking Austin was back to his old self.

"Oh yeah.' Duncan turned to the gang of boys 'Get this right. We were in the library and this mutant girl starts talking to Austin. I can see he's squirming, you know, trying to get away so I go up and try'n help him. I say to her 'It's bad enough that you're a brain but you're a mutant. Why do you think the school quarterback would ever wanna talk to you?' Then she got all sensitive and ran off. I felt kind of bad afterwards but it was hilarious. Right Austin?

_Actually that's not exactly what happened, _Austin thought calmly over the boy's cries of laughter, _I was trying to flirt with her and she was pretty much blowing me off. But I told a few jokes and she loosened up a bit. Anyway I finally got her talking to me and you swooned in, my knight in shining armour, and took me away from the good-looking funny, girl. But not until after she had verbally out smarted you. Come on just tell him that. Tell him. Go on. _

"Right Aussie?' Duncan half-chuckled again.

"Yeah, right Duncan.' Aussie said sadly. 'Right.'


End file.
